Cigar lighter



1611.14, 1941. Q F SCHMELZ 2,228,851

CIGAR LIGHTER Original Filed Aug. 6, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VENT OR BYCQL."

A RNE Y Jan. 14, 1941. c. F. scHMr-:Lz

.GIGAR LIGHTER original Filed Aug. e, 1955 2 sheets-shea 2 45 Jag. J J9 6 Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITEDl STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGAR LIGHTER Application August 6, 1935, Serial No. 34,863 Renewed June 4, 1940 1i) Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to electric cigar lighters, and more especially to that type thereof in which theigniting-unit is completely separable and removable from the holding device, for use. In this type of cigar lighter, the igniting unit is normally frictionally held in its supporting holder (which may, for instance, be secured to the instrument-board of an automobile) so that, when an inward push is exerted on the outer protruding end of the unit, an electric circuit will be established to bring the lighting-coil of the unit into a state of incandescence, in which position it will be held until the circuit is again interrupted, either by outward hand-pull or by being `automatically pushed outward when the inward hand-push is released. In both of these events, there is danger that the lighting-unit may become cverheated and ruined, on account of its being maintained in the circuit for too long a time.

In order to safeguard against the lighting unit becoming overheated, it has been proposed to hold the igniting unit in energizing position until its coil had acquired the required incandescence, by using a bimetallic catch which will then eX- pand and release the unit, and 'thus permit a spring to push it outward and out of contact, ready for use.

In the devices thus far used, no attempt has been made to control the incandescence of the ignitng unit in any certain or predetermined manner, and my present invention has for its particular object the provision of a time-device which will allow the heating-unit to remain in the circuit for a definite time, say seconds, at the end of which period the circuit will be automatically interrupted, regardless of Whether the limit of incandescence has been reached or not, and the unit will be bodily pushed outward to become a visible indication to the operator that the lighter is ready for use.

If, however, the operator should delay in using the device, the natural consequence Will be: that the incandescence or heat may gradually decrease to a point below requirement, in which case it will be only necessary for the operator to again push the unit inwardly for re-heating its coil which may still be hot and therefore now requires a shorter period of time (less than the normal ten seconds above-mentioned) to bring it again to full incandescence. Inasmuch as the time-mechanism is organized that it wiil run fully ten seconds before it breaks the circuit, and hence there will be a liability cf the coil becoming overheated, my present invention provides a second (Cl. B19- 32) circuit breaker which is thermostatically-controlled and releases and pushes the lighter unit outward, regardless of whether the timemechanism runs its full quota of time or not.

Other features and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one form of the cigar lighter of the present invention, showing the igniting unit in its normal non-energizing position.

Fig. 2 is a similar View, showing the igniting unit in energizing position, the timing mechanism having been wound up and started on its work.

Fig. 3 illustrates the igniting unit still in energizing position, while the time-device is just about ready to release the igniting unit and thus break the circuit.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 are fractional sections showing certain portions of the time-mechanism in different positions.

Fig. y7 shows the inner-end view of the igniting unit, per se, and

Fig. 8 illustrates, in longitudinal section, the stationary housing of the lighter, and the heating unit released and pushed outward, while the timecontrolled member of the device is still in the circuit.

The type of cigar lighter shown in the accompanying drawings is that having a tubular holder or shell I0 adapted to have its holding-end passed through an aperture in a support represented, for instance, by the instrument-board II of an automobile. 'Ihis end of the shell is screw-threaded, as at I'Z, to receive (on the outside of the board II) a clamp-ring I3 having a shoulder I4 engaging the end of the shell I0, while a check nut I5, on the threaded portion I2 and engaging against the inner face of the board I I, cooperates with the ring-shoulder I4 in holding the shell in fixed and rigid position on the board II.

The shell Ill is adapted to receive, for longitudinaily sliding frictional contact therein, the lighting-unit which, however, may be bodily removed therefrom by the operator, for use, and which comprises, in the preferred form shown, a cylindrical plug or handle-portion I6 having at its inner end an extension Il whose outside diameter is smaller than the outside diameter of the plug-handle I6 so as to leave an annular space I8 for an expansion-spring I9, one end of which rests against the inner end of the plug I6, while its other end rests against the inwardly extending flange 20a of a sleeve 20 whose inner surface constitutes the outer wall of the annular spring-space |23, and whose front end has an outwardly-extending ange 2|, adapted to Come to a rest against the outer face of the ring |3, when the igniting plug-unit is placed into the holdershell |0.

The inner end of the plug-extension has (secured thereto by screw-threads 22) a metallic disk 23 whose margin overlaps the sleeve-ange 230. and therefore prevents the extension |'l and plug i6 from being pushed out of the sleeve 20, it being now understood that, when the unit is to be removed from the holder-tube l0, the sleeve 2U will also be removed, the spring holding the sleeve-flange 20a and the inner end of the plug |15 in distended condition, without, however, interfering with the inward movement of the plug l5, with its extension |'l and disk 23, relative to the sleeve 2Q after its ange 2| has brought-up against the outer face of the clamp ring I3 above described.

The removable element of the cigar lighter, therefore, comprises the plug I6, its extension the sleeve 2G and the disk 23, constituting together a single structure which also carries the heating or incandescence-unit firmly attached to the disk 23 as clearly shown in Fig. l.

The metallic disk 23 is provided with a stud 24 passing through an insulating washer 25 and connected at its outer end to inner end of a resistance coil 23 contained within a metallic cup 2l whose bottom plate is in direct contact with a bimetallic disk having a pair of ears which extend rearwardly therefrom and have their ends bent to form hooks 30 adapted to engage over a flange 3m of a contact-'cup 3|, in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

This contact cup 3i is a part of the time-controlled mem-ber of my improved device whose construction is clearly shown in Fig. l, the contact-cup 3| being secured to a slide-cup 32 by rivets 33 which are passed preferably through an insulating disk 35 interposed between the cups and having a comparatively thick central portion 34o to which the member for actuating the time-controlling mechanism is `directly secured but electrically insulated from both the cups 32 and 3| mentioned. The entire organization comprising the cups 3| 32, insulating disk 34 constitutes merely a slide, to which the igniting plug unit may be rst coupled by the hooks 30 when the plug-end l is pushed inward sufliciently to slip the hooks 32 over the flange 3|, after which both of the hooked-together element-organizations will move together rearwardly to wind the time-mechanism and, upon the conclusion of this movement, stay there and permit an electric current to energize the heating coil until the time mechanism or its clock work has run down enough to liberate the sliding cup-organization and permit both the slide and plug-unit to return to normal (see Fig. l).

Referring now to the contact-cup 3|, 32 sliding organization in its normal and non-energizing position shown in Fig. 1, there is no electric current active, because the rim of the metallic cup 32 is located. on a tubular insulation-bushing 35 which acts as a lining for the shell l0 and is stationary therein. Furthermore, inasmuch as the hooks 3D of the heating-unit 'are free, there is an unbridged gap between the two cup organizations, thus preventing the flow of electric current which, anyway, cannot be established at any time except when the parts are in the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Here it will be noted that the rear-portion of the shell l0 is equipped with a grounding ring 3S (whose inner surface is flush with the bushing 35) and still more rearwardly with a short tubular metalli-c lining shell 3l, which, however, is insulated from the shell l0 and also from the grounding-ring 3S by a tubular insulation-liner 3S. In Fig. 2, the circuit consists of the battery-current (which is conducted to the the terminal by the wire 4D) direct-ly to the metallic lining 3l of the shell, from whence it passes through the cups 32, 3E, hooks 30, cup 2l, the coil 26, stud 24 and grounding ring 33 to the shell ID where it is grounded on the car.

Leaving the time-controlling mechanism outl of consideration for the moment, the heating operation of ythe lighting-coil will now continue until the coil becomes hot enough or suiciently incandescent to cause the bimetallic hooks to open or spread until they clear the margin of the cup flange 3l, whereupon the plug-spring I0 will become active to snap the handle plug I6 in its entirety forward, i. e. in the direction of arrow a of Fig. 2, and the lighter is then ready to be removed by hand and used for its purpose.

Now, there is a possibility that some one or more parts of the plug may become damaged so as not to function properly, as for instance the spring I9 may break, or the hooks 3G may become bent out of shape or fractured, in either of which cases the electric current might continue beyond the time normally allowed for bringing the heating-coil into proper incandescence, and consequently burn-out 'the coil or do other things. For that reason, my present invention also includes a timing mechanism whereby, when .the plug Ihas been pushed into place to energize the coil, the time (generally seconds) allowed for properly heating the coil, will be automatically controlled and adhered to, at least as far as the direct-contact slide cup-'combination 36, 32 is concerned, and regardless of whether the hook and ilange connection 30, Sla remains intact or not.

In the preferred form of this feature of the invention, I employ a quasi-clock movement comprising an ordinary coiled clock spring which is wound up one turn by the full-limit insertion of the lighter-plug, and runs (when uncoiling) a gear-train whose speed is checked or retarded to the ten-second maximum by an escapement which may be of any ordinary and well-known constnuction and opera-tion, and which will, when uncoiled to a certain amount, release the direct sliding cup-combination 30, 32 and let it return to normal or non-energizing position.

In this instance, the sliding cup-combination 3B, 32 is not only used for establishing and ybreaking the electric circuit for the coil, but it also constitutes an actuator for winding the spring of the clock which comprises a dog to retain the slide in pushed-in or energizing position and also has means for releasing it when the lO-second period has elapsed.

As above stated, this actuator-slide has an insulating plate 34 provided with a thick central portion 34a to which the member for actuating the time-controlling mechanism is directly secured. This member is made in the form of a rack 4D whose foot is secured to the thick plateportion 34a by eyelets or rivets 40a and extends rearwardly therefrom into and through the front and rear walls 4|, 42 of a housing where it is guided for reciprocation. The teeth of the rack are in permanent engagement with a pinion 43 which is loose on an arbor 44 extending laterally through the housing and journaled in the side plates 45, 46 thereof (see Figs. 4, 5 and 6). Adjacent to the pinion 43 and also loose on the arbor 44, is a disk 41 on one side of which is pivoted, as at 48, a pawl 4S whose free end is urged toward the teeth of the pinion 43 so that, when the rack moves in the direction of arrow b, one of the pinion teeth will engage the free end of the pawl and drive the disk 41 in the direction of arrow c. The disk 41 has also a peripheral tooth or projection 50 which, when it is in the position shown in Fig. 5, is caught by a latch 5l, the latter being pivoted on a spindle 52 (extending through the side-walls of the housing) and urged into engagement with said tooth 50 by a fiat blade-spring 53. In Fig. 5 the rack 40 and its dependencies are shown in their normal positions (also as shown in Fig. 1) and for convenience sake the mechanism is so designed that for each full stroke of the rack in either direction, the pinion will make one full rotation. This means that, when the rack moves one full stroke, as per arrow b, the tooth 50 of the disk will make one full rrevolution in` the direction of arrow c, iinally arriving again at its original position after having pushed its way past the latch 5I.

When the rack 40 travels from left to right, however, the pinion-teeth 43 will merely click-bye the pawl-end, because the disk 41 is then held against reverse rotation by the latch 5I.

The extreme rearward position of the rack is shown in Fig. 2, where the electric circuit is ccmplete and the heating coil is being energized. At this time the rack has also wound-up one convolution of a clock-spring 55 whose inner end is attached to the disk 41, preferably on a portion of the pawl-pivot pin 48 which projects from the other side of the disk. 'I'he other or working-end of the spring 55 is attached to the side of the (irst) gear 51 of the timing mechanism by a pin 58 projecting from one side thereof and `also serving as a stop or retainer which is normally held against movement by a hook-latch 59 attached to a rock-spindle 65 journaled in the side walls of the housing. This latch is gravitative in its operation and has at its pivot-end a lug 56a which limits the drop of the latch when free of the gearpin 58.

From the foregoing it will be understood that when the hook-latch 59 is holding the gear 51 against movement, and the rack 40 is pushed rear- Wardly'(to the left in Fig. l) the inner end of the clock-spring 55 will be caused to make one revolution in a counter-clockwise direction, thereby increasing the tension of that spring. When the rack 40 has reached the limit of its left-hand stroke, the spring will have the required tension but cannot uncoil unless the hook-latch 59 has first released the gear-pin 56. This release is effected automatically when the lighter-plug i6 is being pushed inward to the energizing position (shown in Fig. 2) by virtue a cam-like trip 6i pivotally attached to the upper-face of the rack 40 and adapted to engage a rock lever 62 during the rearward (left) rack-movement, the rock lever 62 also being secured to the spindle 60 which carries the hook-latch 59, and the latter being thus swung upward to release the gear pin 5S and immediately permitting the gear 51 to operate or drive the escapement mechanism; but the rack 46 and all parts of the lighter connected with it will be held stationary and in energizing position by a dog 63 secured to a spindle 64 of the housing and engaging a retaining-notch 65 provided for it in the rack 40. This dog 63 holds the rack in its rearward position until it is thrown out in a positive manner, and at a time when the gear 51 has nearly re-advanced to its starting position, by a sweeper-pin 66 carried by an arm 61 which is secured to the main shaft 44 and therefore moves turn-for-turn with the gear 51. 'I'his pin 66 releases the dog 63 from the rack 46 by striking a linger 68 secured to the spindle 64 and therefore moving the dog 63 simultaneously. In Fig. 3 I have shown the dog 63 just on the point of releasing the rack 40, the sweeper pin 66 having engaged and slightly moved the finger 68, while the gear 51 has nearly reached the end of its uncoiling revolution and its pin 58 is about to be engaged again by the hook latch 59.

The energizati-on of the heating-coil of the lighter lasts normally from the time the parts of the gear-train reach the positions shown in Fig. 2 to the time they reach the positions shown in Fig. 3, an interval of about tenfseconds, and any suitable escapement mechanism may be employed to produce that result. Merely as an illustration of such a mechanism, I have shown in the drawings a train which comprises the gear 51 as a driver operating a pinion 10 mounted on a spindle 1l which carries the escape wheel 12 engaged by the pallet 13 on a staff 14, the rapidity of movement of the latter being controlled by a balance wheel 15 either directly or through the medium of the usual hair-spring (not shown) as may be desired.

As soon as the rack-dog 63 has released the rack 46, the latter will be quickly returned to its normal position (Fig. l) by a spring 16 anchored with one end on the housing and having its other end attached to a bar 11 which is secured to the outer end of the rack 45. When the rack has again reached its normal position, the electric circuit is again broken and, consequently further heating oi the coil has stopped. If the coil-heat is then nearly normal or less in temperature, the cup-combination 3|, 32 and the biinetallic hooks 3B will still be connected, so that the operator will have to exert a small pull on the plug handle i6, to remove the lighter from the shell l0, for use. If, then, it should be found that the coil is not hot enough for its purpose, the operator simply pushes the lighter plug back into its place, and rearward to the limit, thereby again subjecting the coil to the heating current, which, however, does not now require a ten-second period to bring it to proper ncandescence, because it was already hot or partly-heated when the plug was re-inserted. Consequently there is the liability that the coil may become overheated before the usual ten-second period has elapsed, but any possible damage accruing from such cause is obviated by the fact that the bimetallic hooks will spread and let go of the flange 3io., and therefore allow the plug-spring i9 to propel the igniter-plug outward, thus breaking the electric circuit (see Fig. 6) without interfering with the operation of the time train running its full quota of time and then let the rack-spring 16 return the rack 4U and its directly-connected parts to normal.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without oth-ers.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to 0btain Letters Patent is:

l. An electric cigar lighter comprising a casing; an electrical contact member slidable therein; normally inoperative means for connecting the unit for electrical energization and including said contact member; means for normally moving said contact member into inoperative position; a heating unit also slidable in said casing and adapted to engage with the contact member and move the same into operative position to energize the heating unit; a device for holding the contact member in its circuit-closing position for a predetermined time period to store the potential energy of the means normally moving the member to inoperative position; means powered by said stored potential energy and operating for the duration of such period to disengage the heating unit and the contact member; and means for then sliding the heating unit toward ejection from the casing.

2. An electric cigar lighter comprising a casing, an electrical contact member slidable therein, means for normally moving said member into circuit-opening position, a removable heatingunit adapted to be inserted into said casing to slide therein and make electric contact with said contact member and move the latter rearwardly into its circuit-closing position, a thermostatic element for coupling said contact member and the heating unit together, means for normally moving said heating unit outwardly from said casing to disconnect it from the contact-member, a device for locking the latter against circuitbreaking movement, and a mechanism for releasing said locking means at the expiration of a predetermined period of time.

3. In a device of the class described, a removable heating member having an electrical heating unit; a socket for receiving and holding said heating member; electrical current supply terminals; means for moving said heating member to a position for establishing an energizing circuit to said heating unit; means including a thermostat for locking said member in said position; means including a clock-work for interrupting said energizing circuit and releasing the locking means after the expiration of a predetermined length of time; and means operating on said release of the locking means to move said member lengthwisely of the socket.

4. In a device of the class described, a removable heating member having an electrical heating unit; a socket for receiving and holding said heating member; electrical current supply terminals; means for moving said heating member to a pcsition for establishing an energizing circuit to said heating unit; means independent of the heating rate of said circuit relative to said unit for interrupting said circuit after the eX- piration of a predetermined length of time; and means responsive to the temperature of said heating element for interrupting said circuit when the heating element reaches a predetermined temperature before the expiration of said predetermined length of time.

5: An electric cigar lighter comprising a heating unit; normally inoperative means adapted to be engaged by said unit and then rendered operative to electrically energize said unit; and a device for controlling ie time period of such energization, said device including a mechanically operating part continuously moved during its operaticn, a mechanical escapement for controlling the s eed of movement of said part, and means for deenergizing said unit and actuated by said part at the conclusion of a predetermined movement thereof.

6. An electric cigar lighter comprising a heating unit; a casing adapted to slidably receive the same; normally inoperative means for connecting the unit for electrical energization and lncluding a member supported in said casing and adapted to be slidably moved by the insertion of the unit into the casing to render said means operative; means for holding said member in its operative position for a predetermined time period, including a latch engaging said member, a part continuously movable during its operation and engageable with the latch at the conclusion of said operation to release the same, and a mechanical escapement controlling the latch; and means for sliding said member to its inoperative position after release by the movement of said part at the expiration of said time period.

7. A cigar lighter as defined in claim 5, Wherein the device for controlling the period of energization is operable independently of the temperature of the heating unit.

8. A cigar lighter as defined in claim 5, wherein the mechanically operating part is powered by a spring which is energized to move the part when the normally inoperative means is rendered operative to electrically energize said unit.

9. A cigar lighter comprising a removable member and a stationary member adapted to slidably receive the removable member; circuit connections to said stationary member; an electric heating unit carried by said removable member; contacts on said removable member; a iixed Contact mounted on said stationary member; a movable contact member intermediate said heating unit and the fixed contact of the stationary member; resilient means normally retaining said movable Contact in an inoperative position; means for closing the circuit to said electrical heating element by inward movement of the removable member; latch means for holding the movable contact member in an operative position; and means, independent of the temperature of the heating unit, actuated by the movement of the removable member and including a member movable continuously during its operation and engageable with the latch at the conclusion of said movement to release the latch means whereby the resilient means urge the movable contact member to an inoperative position to thereby open the circuit to the heating unit.

10. In a cigar lighter comprising a removable member having contact means thereon, and a socket for supporting said removable member; a heating element carried by said removable member; a fixed contact secured to the inner Wall of said socket; a movable contact member intermediate the heating element and said xed contact; a rod having an end secured to the movable contact and formed adjacent the opposite end with a dog means; a spring for normally urging the rod and movable contact forwardly of said xed contact; means for sliding said heating element to establish an energizing circuit thereto; a latch for engaging the dog means of the rod when the heating element is moved to close the circuit; and means put into operation by the movement of the heating element and operable for a predetermined time thereafter to disengage the latch whereby the spring returns the movable Contact to an inoperative position to thereby deenergize the heating element.

CHARLES F. SCHlWELZ.

CERTIFICATE OF CO RRECTI ON Apatent No. 2, 228,851, January 1u, 19in.

CHARIES F. SGHMELZ.

It is hereby certified that errorl appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, second column, line 9, strike out "the" first Occurrence; page L1., second co1- umn, line l5, claim 6, for the word "latch" read --movement of said par-tn; lines l15mm 1,6, same claim, for "movement of said part" read latch; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to thev record of the case in the Patent Office.

signed and Sealed this 18th day of February, A. D. 19in.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Gommi ssioner of Patents,

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION -Patent No. 2,228,85l January lll, 19ML CHARLES F. SGEMELZ. It is yhereby certified that errorl appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, second column, line 9, strike out the" first Qccurrence; page )4, second column, line l5, claim 6, for the word "latch" read --movement of said part; lines'lfjvand 1 6, same claim, for "movement of said part" read latch; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the. record of the oase in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 18th day of February, A. D. 19141.

Henr5T Van Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents, 

